NBC Sports Group is a division of NBCUniversal that is responsible for NBC Sports' media properties, encompassing the NBC television network's sports division as well as day-to-day operation of the company's sports-oriented cable networks and other properties such as NBC Sports Radio.

Group history

The unit was formed when Comcast transferred the operations of the properties in its existing Comcast Sports Group unit – which included the regional sports network chain Comcast SportsNet, Versus and Golf Channel, after the company's acquisition of a majority share in NBCUniversal in February 2011.[1][2] Plans originally called for the Comcast SportsNet channels to be rebranded under the NBC Sports banner as well, however these plans have since been shelved. However, the networks would adopt some graphical elements from the new NBC Sports design.[3] Mark Lazarus, formerly the head of Turner Entertainment Group, was named President, NBC Sports Cable Group. Comcast Sports Group president Jon Litner assumed the role of president of VERSUS and SportsNet, while the Golf Channel got its own president in former NBC Sports executive vice president Mike McCarley. A president of programming at NBC Sports and Versus was named John Miller, executive vice president, NBC Sports. Dick Ebersol continued as NBC Sports Group Chairman.[4]

In May 2011, Lazarus took over for Ebersol as chairman of the group. The group made a few big rights deal since then adding an extension to its Olympic contract from 2014 out to 2020, Major League Soccer and renewed PGA Tour and “Sunday Night Football”.[5] In June 2011, NBC Sports Group purchased back the Alli Sports share held by MTV Networks Music Group in June 2011 and previously sold by NBC Sports to them in 2008.[6] On January 1, 2012, Versus was renamed NBC Sports Network.[7]

NBC Deportes, a dedicated Hispanic sports production unit, was also announced by Joe Uva, Chairman of NBCUniversal Hispanic Group, and chairman Mark Lazarus at May 2015 Upfronts. NBC Deportes was also in process of moving to the NBC Sports Group facility in Stamford.[9]

NBC Sports Group formed NBC Sports Films in 2015 for long form sports documentaries for the sports group's platforms. The first film was Center of Attention: The Unreal Life of Derek Sanderson which was broadcast on NBC Sports Network June 8 after the Stanley Cup Final Game 3.[10]

On October 22, 2015, it was announced that Universal Sports Network would close down on November 16, 2015, and that NBC Sports would inherit the network's portfolio of sports rights for its own networks and channels.[11] The Group launched two channels just for the 2016 Olympic games, NBC Olympic Basketball and NBC Olympic Soccer.[12]

NBC Sports streaming technology unit will become a standalone unit within the group per an April 2016 report by Sports Business Daily. The unit's first client is reported as the upcoming Olympic Channel.[13] The unit and service was named Playmaker Media in May 2016 and exists within NBC Sports Digital. NBC News is expected to use Playmaker for the 2016 general election.[14]